Friday, 14 August 2009

Ok, I've been telling friends about my childbirth experience even to the point of advising strangers (on Baby Center forum) to get the "Supernatural Childbirth" book that I read (and love!!) but I have yet to blog it down! So here goes...

I'm about 39 weeks pregnant now!According to my gynae, I will be due on 12 March... so 9 more days to go! Woke up to have my pregnancy check-up at Putrajaya hospital (not knowing this will be my last) Tummy feels heavier - couldn't wait until the delivery day! How will it be?

Reached the hospital, registered and went straight to have my weight, blood pressure and urine checked. Then off to the doctor's room (one of the privilege of a Full-Paying-Patient aka FPP scheme is you get to cut queue... woohooo!!) and our gynae, Dr. Jamil (a nice Malay gynae in late 30s) proceed to do the ultrasound check. Then he told us the bad news... I have very low amniotic fluid now. Since my pregnancy is already full-term, it is best to induce the labour. In my mind, I was like 'huh?!... induce = forcing an event to happen when it is not ready = stress... and Ben has not engaged yet!!! He has turned down but his head has not engaged yet!! no no no...'. Then Dr. Jamil told us to think about it, at the rate I'm at now, the max he gave me is 1 week, in which, when I come back, he will admit me to hospital straight and perform C-section. Then we asked if induce within this week, what about Ben since his head has not engaged? Dr. Jamil said, the 1st induce injection will last for 6 hours in which if Ben hasn't engaged, they will try another jab (another 6 hours) by then if still not engaged... C-section. What?!!!! If I admit to hospital now and go for labour induce, I have to stand the pain for 6-12 hours and if Ben didn't engaged, I have to go for C-sect? If I wait for 1 week, then come back confirm C-sect! Arghhhh.... God... how could this happen? Dr. Jamil said if this happens to his wife (btw he has 4 kids), he will go for induce cos' Ben is already a full-term baby now - it's like the fruit is ripe, just not fallen to the ground yet, so he told us to think about it, but anytime we come back from now, I'll be admitted to hospital straight.

SMS my family and close friends, asking them to pray for me & Ben. Called and talked to my sis in law (hubby's sis in law) since she had experience in being induced and had C-section. She advised me to pray and if I really go for induce, I should do it at night - last time when she go for induced, they did it in the morning and for whole day she was in pain and couldn't sleep, was so tired and by the time they realised the baby cannot be delivered naturally, she had to go for C-sect... so, she said, "You better admit to hospital at night, at least 12 hours you can sleep it off and deliver the next morning!"

Hubby's 2nd brother came over and helped him rearrange our master bed to make room for baby crib. (Thanks to MIL who told us no moving stuff in our bedroom - all these superstitious thing). Unknowingly, I started feeling mild cramps like period pain at this hour onwards, but it's not regular and super super mild (but this is when my contractions begin! Praise God!)

Hubby and I decided to go for labour induce. Better try rather than wait 1 week and then no choice but to have C-sect. Started packing up my bag, took my shower, shampoo hair few times (cos MIL warning no shampoo hair for 2 weeks after delivery - another superstitious thing). Told hubby I want to have McDonalds McChicken set before we go hospital (that time my feeling was like 'huuuu...this is going to be my last meal.. like those prisoner on death row... hahahah).

All clean and freshen up, I walloped my McD meals - yup... I had TWO McChicken meal set + choc sundaes. By now, my cramps come and go every half hour and I still do not know I'm already having contractions!! I read Jackie Mize's book called "Supernatural Childbirth" while hubby took his bath. I read one of the prayers in the book, commanding each organs in my body to listen to me, not give pain, to flex and stretch when they should, to my baby to engage his head and I pray for safety of course! Hubby's 2nd sis came over and we prayed before hubby and I left for hospital (about 40mins drive from our house) at 10pm+. Right before we start our journey, I called one of my close friend and my sis in law asking them whether period-like cramps every half hour is normal and they got the shock and scolded me to go hosp ASAP cos that's contractions starting!!

We reached the hosp about 11pm+, by then my cramps came every 5 minutes. I had to wait and was hooked to this machine which will detect whether you are really having contractions and starting labour. By the time the nurse confirmed I'm not having false labour but I've only dilated 1cm, I have to wait again while hubby went to the registration for admittance procedures. Luckily, Dr. Jamil was working night-shift that day and he said I do not need to induce anymore since my labour has started... now just need to wait 9cm more... I still remember only from midnight onwards, I start to feel uneasy with the cramps (cos before that I don't even realize I'm having contractions!!!) but I just focus on my breathing and walk around to ease the pain.

Unknowing to me, hubby had already finished his registration and was happily taking pictures of my Executive Suite (one of FPP's perks) while I'm walking around breathing like a hippo waiting for the nurse to tell me I can go rest in my room. By the time all things got sorted out, I walked to my suite accompanied by 2 nurses (I chose to walk instead of being wheeled in a wheelchair) cos walking while contractions can ease pain and make it dilate faster. Then I had to change to the hospital gown and Dr Jamil came to my room to check and said if I can' stand the pain, look for him and he'll jab me with Pethidine. I said "no, can bear pain currently"... so I rested.... and wait... and wait....

I cannot stand the pain!!! Arghhh..it's every minute and a half now and every time it comes, my tummy bunched up. Its as if I have 3 boobs and a flat tummy! I told hubby to get Dr Jamil, I need that jab NOW, NOW, NOW!! Hubby ran out and was MIA for half hour. When hubby was back, he said Dr Jamil is on the way. In actual fact I didn't get to see Dr Jamil until 1 hr later cos he's too busy with other mums in the labour ward. Hubby lied to give me hope and to buy some time... in the meantime, I got a nurse to check, and she said I'm only 2cm dilated now... what the heck... 2 hours of pain for extra 1cm only?

Dr Jamil came and asked how I feel now. I said I need that Pethidine. He said he cannot give it to me yet, as he needs to monitor my baby's heartbeat whether he can stand the painkiller. I glared at hubby - if I'm Cyclops, he'd be dead or vaporized at that instant! Hubby look elsewhere... so the nurse wheeled me to this examination room and Dr Jamil checked me and he told me I am now 4cm dilated and Ben has already engaged. He broke my water bag and said I can go down to labour ward and check with the fetal monitoring machine before getting the jab. At the labour ward, Dr Jamil advised its better I don't take the Pethidine cos based on baby's heartbeat, whenever I had my contractions, baby's heartbeat is irregular. If I take the jab and don't feel pain, its hard to monitor baby's conditions. So again, I glared at hubby who is standing next to me. At that instant, hubby (probably fearing for his life as his hippo wife might end up turning into a Cyclops) asked Dr Jamil whether I could use the gas mask (Entonox). Dr Jamil said go ahead, its free! So I grabbed the mask and put it onto my mouth and waited to be sprayed with gas or something...only there's nothing coming out of it. I glared at hubby again and asked 'nothing wan?'. Dr Jamil said its not like those Oxygen mask where the gas automatically comes out, this mask I have to take deep breaths when contractions comes, else no air will come out. Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!! I have to try a few times and when I got the hang of it, I was holding off tightly to the mask as if holding on to my dear life...sort of like Darth Vader in labour also... hahahah...

Contractions every minute but last quite sometime... by now, Dr Jamil has hooked me up with the IV drip and then I heard hubby asking him how long will it be before I am fully dilated to 10cm for delivery to begin. Dr Jamil said 'Now she's about 6-7cm, at this rate, should be delivering at 8am lah'... in my mind, I was like thinking 'whatever... so long as I have this mask I don't care... focus on the breathing and not the time, focus focus'. After a few minutes, I felt a very very STRONG urge to PUSH!!! I yelled at hubby I need to push. Hubby yelled back at me "Don't push. Not yet 10cm, DON'T PUSH, later you tear yourself down there! DON'T!!!!" When another urge to push comes, I just yelled 'I NEED TO PUSH!' Then Dr Jamil came over (he was just a few feet away from me writing down his report) and take a look at me down there and all of a sudden, he reversed his steps and said 'OK, she's 10cm now, we're ready to go!' The nurse and him quickly don the aprons and got ready for delivery. When Dr Jamil said 'next contraction comes, just push with all your might', I totally forgot everything I learned in the antenatal class. When my contraction came, I pushed, yelled at the top of my lungs and wasted that 1st push. All my energies was channeled out thru' that Celine Dion shriek of mine.. fearing another Cyclops-glare from me, hubby gently told me 'OK OK, dear, next contraction, you push but close your mouth, don't scream OK?'. Next contraction came, I closed my mouth, grind my teeth, and pushed! I pushed 2 more times after that and...

I felt Ben slipped fast out of me! Dr Jamil caught him and I felt so relieved it was over! He clamped Ben's umbilical cord and passed him to the nurse. I told hubby to follow the nurse (my paranoia of baby being switched or kidnapped) and to report back to me what they did with Ben while Dr Jamil remained to deliver out my placenta.

All in all, this is a supernatural childbirth for me, I'm so glad:

Ben engaged himself (or I'd end up with C-sect cos breech position)

I delivered Ben naturally instead of being induced/C-sect

I don't rely on painkillers other than Entonox (which has side effects)

I delivered Ben in 3 pushes! (well, first one not counted since it was wasted on my screaming like a banshee)

I lost very little blood - according to Dr Jamil, I only lose 250ml (a can of soft drink) of blood.

I didn't even suffer for long from the contractions pain until I was at the hospital (which if I count from midnight to the point I delivered is just 4.5 hours!)

I thank God for His divine intervention and for His blessings on Ben and our family. Everyday I look at Ben, I remind myself, he used to be in my tummy and now he's growing bigger by the day...

Jenny, i read that book too!!! I remember praying so many times before i went into labor (i re-read the prayer list many times during my last trimester), but it didn't work for me...or either i just couldn't stand the tiredness after 2 hours of labor...I was so determined to deliver without any painkillers...but in the end, i still didn't understand why God didn't take away the pain... :(

Mumzzy, I got that book from my sis in law just 2 weeks before I delivered. Well, according to my sis in law, it doesn't work for her (she has 6 kids btw)

I guess things happen for a reason, not up to us to decide. See my case, I was supposed to be induced then end up labour naturally. Then I was screaming for the painkiller jab but I got gas mask instead (until that point both hubby and I totally forgot about the gas & air method!)

I always scares myself that my water bag will burst right in public or I'd be caught in a jam end up deliver in car/cab/stranger's car etc but in the end it turns out fine!

I think most important is we delivered safely and our child is perfect & healthy! Don't you think? :D

Jenny, i really can't imagine that u had TWO mc chicken deluxe and 1 choc sundae...!!!!! i dare not eat anything prior to my delivery...cuz they told me, everything u eat , must come out before delivery (u know what i mean right?)... so i ate less lah...! hahaaa....really like going to serve jail sentence like that :P

but one thing for sure,i really enjoyed my confinement food, my confinement lady (the first one) cooked so very well..like restaurant food! i miss it! :)

Mumzzy, correction ar, I had 2 McChicken burgers + 2 regular Cokes + 2 regular fries + 1 choc sundae! Yumyum!! Actually I had it quite often in my 3rd trimester... almost once every week hahahaha... before that I had this crazy phase eating at Wendy's 3 times a week... :D

Actually the thing about everything you eat must come out before delivery was not true la... when I was in the labour ward, nobody give me the enema pill also. I guess cos I told them I already had movement the day before hahahah...

Actually mumzzy, I'm kinda worried about that "whatever u like to eat during preggy periods, reflects on what your baby loves to eat when he is much older" - I don't know leh, I had alot of fast foods thru out my pregnancy (somemore I don't have morning sickness at all), I don't eat veggie but I do eat pork more, something which I don't do prior to being pregnant.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I also had a boy last year and my birth experience is somewhat similar to yours :D I haven't blogged it down yet, reading yours kinda reminding me I should blogged it down before I forget it and a reminder for me that God is Good!

Good morning. Here from SITS. Congrats on the great birth experience and the beautiful baby. I was one who was induced and had a C-section. I was very thankful for that C-section. It came twelve hours after being induced. I wasn't in pain though, because I had an epidural. To read about mine, visit my blog and click on the side link that says, "Elliot's Birth and Pest Management". It is under my garden column Thicket To Paradise. Gosh-could this get any longer?

Hey here from Sits. I am scheduled to be induced Friday for #3 and praying that my body goes into natural labor first, I'm already dilated to 3 but having no signs of regular labor.(for 3 weeks dilated)Come on supernatural birth. Sounds like you were truly blessed!

Hi Jenny! I love reading birth stories. And I loved yours. The beginning (mild period-like cramps that you didn't recognize as contractions) reminded me of my own labor. It's great that you also avoided pain meds. I did a natural birth and I will always be glad!

Found you through SITS and following. I visited Malaysia in 2007 and really enjoyed it. You're my first bloggy friend from Malaysia!